


you're the snow, i'm your boy

by itachitachi



Series: Summer Pornathon '10 [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Growing Up, M/M, Snowmen, Team Gluttony, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-02
Updated: 2014-09-02
Packaged: 2018-02-15 20:37:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2242749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itachitachi/pseuds/itachitachi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When it snows, all the children make snow creatures. Will makes snow monsters with two heads and stick arms coming out every which way. Gwen and Lance make snow rabbits, with leaves for ears and small round snow tails. Merlin makes a snow boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	you're the snow, i'm your boy

**Author's Note:**

> For Pthon 2010 week 2: AU (non-school). I think this won 1st place! :) ♥

"You!"

Merlin turns, small, cold fingers slipping on the rope pulling his sled. It's heavy, made for two people, but Will's gone home and so isn't helping him carry it.

There's a boy with a red scarf running toward him. His breath puffs out in white clouds, cheeks pink with exertion as he kicks a path through the frozen white ground.

"You!" the boy repeats, as he stops in front of Merlin and falls, panting, to his knees in the snow.

"Me?" says Merlin.

"Yes, you," the boy says, glaring at him. "What's your name?"

Merlin blinks. "It's Merlin," he says.

"Perfect," the boy says, and grabs part of the sled rope. "I'm Arthur. Let's go up the hill, I want to sled."

*

When it snows, all the children make snow creatures. Will makes snow monsters with two heads and stick arms coming out every which way. Gwen and Lance make snow rabbits, with leaves for ears and small round snow tails.

Merlin makes a snow boy. It's his own height—not so tall. With small rocks he gives it a face: two mismatched eyes, a lopsided smile. He winds a red scarf around the snow boy's neck, and then, when all the other children have gone indoors for cocoa, Merlin lingers outside to press a quick, warm kiss to the snow boy's rock mouth.

*

He and Arthur play together every day, sometimes with the other children and sometimes by themselves. Snowball fights, making forts, following in each others' lumpy white footprints. Merlin sticks his tongue out to catch a flake or two, and Arthur dumps a handful of snow onto his face. Then they fight.

They're in the middle of creating snow angels in the backyard (or Merlin is; Arthur's just rolling over and over in the snow) when Merlin's mum's voice trails out from the cracked-open window.

"There's hot cocoa inside," she calls. "I have marshmallows, if you want them."

"Coming!" Merlin decides, immediately sitting up. "Arthur, do you like cocoa?"

Arthur sits up more slowly, bits of wet snow falling in clumps off him. "No," he says. "Actually, I think I have to go home now."

"You won't come inside?" Merlin asks. "Aren't you cold?"

"I'm fine," Arthur says, and kicks some snow onto Merlin's boots when he stands. "Bye, Merlin."

"Bye," Merlin says, watching him go down the pavement. It's getting cold and he wants his cocoa, but—before Arthur is out of sight, Merlin shouts, "Tomorrow, right?"

Arthur, looking very small in his red scarf and coat in the snow, turns to grin and call, "Tomorrow!"

*

"Look, Merlin," his mum says the next morning. "It's starting to warm up again. The snow won't be lasting much longer, I shouldn't think. Go and play while you still can."

Merlin goes, but he can't find Arthur anywhere that day.

Or for the rest of the waning winter, or spring, or summer, or autumn.

*

The first snow of the next year brings a tentative new snow boy. This time Merlin puts a yellow scarf on it, an old one of his Da's. When no one's looking, he kisses the snow boy on its lumpy rock mouth, feeling a excited tickle in his stomach.

But nothing happens.

Later that day, when Merlin's making a melancholy snow angel in the front garden, Arthur turns up, trailing a too-long scarf, and shoves a pile of snow onto his face.

*

"Where have you been?" Merlin asks Arthur. "Why do I only see you in the winter?"

"You know the answer to that," Arthur says.

And Merlin does.

*

Every year means a new snow boy, another scarf, another kiss. Another long stretch of chilled days in Arthur's company.

Until the day comes that Will stops making snow monsters. Lancelot and Gwen start holding hands instead of making snow bunnies. 

Merlin grows too old for snow boys.

*

Merlin forgets until his mum makes him cocoa again. Even then, when he remembers, when he's rolling the snow up, when he's winding his scarf around the snow boy's neck, it feels like a dream. Like a joke.

"Here goes, I guess," Merlin says to himself. He wipes his wet hands on his jeans, and nervously leans forward.

The rocks of the snow-boy's mouth almost feel warm. His stomach jolts, but nothing happens.

He pulls his face away, feeling almost disappointed.

*

"You!" a voice calls.

Merlin turns, disbelieving, and is tackled by an almost-familiar warm body. A hand shoves snow up his jacket.

He shrieks and squirms, snow all up his back and front, but he's pinned.

"You complete bastard," Arthur says, looking down at him. "Where have you been?"

"I—" Merlin tries, but Arthur kisses him first.

*

"Where did you go?" Arthur whispers, into Merlin's shivering skin. "I was waiting."

Arthur coaxes him with chilled fingers, but Merlin still has no answer.

*

It's embarrassing how hard Merlin comes, lying in a pile of snow. It shouldn't happen that fast, should it? The bloodflow should be slower or—oh.

Arthur laughs at Merlin's mumblings. He paints Merlin's lips with ice.


End file.
